Friday, 4 June 2010

A Fine Fine Tree Was He

Well. So I made you wait so I could collect all of the photographs I've been after. Then I had them. Then I got Lazy (also, Laid Off, but that's another story). Now I have a backlog of fun new posts just for you! But I can't post them until I post THIS ONE. So now (finally, a month later (Bad Guenevere!)), ON WITH IT!

So, now that I've collected all of the photographs I've been waiting for (and permission to use them): My weekend!

Friday I got up, paid my rent, drove almost 4 hours south (and got Massively sunburnt on my left arm, as you'll see in the photos below. The best part was that the sunscreen was on the seat next to me, buried under everything so I had no idea!). Also due to the sun combined with not enough water bottles in the car, I obtained a lovely little migraine which decided to tag along for most of the weekend.

This Lovely Lady was camped at our site. She plays a Jew's Harp (which has nothing to do with Jews) and has a purse that looks (very realistically) like a dead toad. This world needs more children like her.

The Mother Stone
(I've been passed through it. I've also seen grown men get stuck in it...)

The lovely wreath (that I helped decorate!) being put onto the lovely Maypole
(Yes- you're supposed to connect any and all euphemisms that may come to mind with the Maypole. That's what it's about.)
So much color makes me HAPPY! ^_^

Dancy Dancy!
This was one of the first times since I was a teenager that I've worn a midriff baring top and been 100% fine with it! Yay!

I got to hang out with my bigger-than-me-little brother! (and his Mini-me)
One of the things I love about this place is the way that children are treated. Most importantly, the word NO is not the word most often heard! The general atmosphere seems to be less one of telling children not to go into the thorn bushes because it will hurt, and more letting the children go into the thorn bushes if they feel the need to, and learning for themselves why it's not the world's best idea. Children are treated as people - capable of rational and responsible thoughts and opinions. The little guy in the photograph was given a walkie talkie and without any reminders regularly checked in with his dad to let him know where he was going! The trust and responsibility there is wonderful.

Action shot!
I was hoping that this weekend would yield another Fantastic shot of me like the one from the 2008 Fairie Festival. No such luck - but there are some pretty spiffing ones anyhow. <3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lKNrsQwLu3Q/TAnFCGFTIxI/AAAAAAAACJk/vG0qylXFl34/s1600/29193_1293789590253_1395698695_30748802_1077356_n.jpg">Words cannot express how rejuvenating this weekend was - particularly the drum circles (when I was headache free enough to participate). But also being outside and alive. That was fun too.

Yes, in fact, I DO want one. ^_^
I really enjoyed working in the kitchen because I got to meet so many people - both my fellow Kitchen Witches (who are amazing, by the way, and make amazing food!) and the people we fed! Like this little precious and her mum!

My Step-Dad took tons of photos, and then did fun things to them! This is my favorite (even though my arm looks like it's bleeding...) There's another spiffy one that he took that I need to track down. One is an up close of my face, and it looks really awesome - but all I see when I look at it is how uneven my eyes are... so I'll not post it here.

All in all, a Lovely weekend - I even finally ditched the headache (whilst sitting in my favorite little spot on the planet, no less!)! I can't wait to go back (whenever that will be). It's just a lovely atmosphere, with lovely people. Yay!

~*~*~Intermission~*~*~

I finally got to the May Day Fairy Festival at Spoutwood Farm! There I met up with some of my lovely B&N Ladies
As well as a sister and her daughter, this little lovely:
who promptly absconded with the Parasol of Awesome for the rest of the day! ^_^
Miss Chelsea got to be all buddy-buddy with the men from Albannach (again).
Sometimes you need to be in the creek (this is right behind where Ruth's stand probably would have been! :(
Sometimes it's fun to play in the Dark Faery Realm (I bonked something on the way in, and then couldn't walk without tripping over nothing. I figured it was best to stay in my own realm after that.)
We hydrated with delicious Cherry Berry smoothies! My lunch inspired my yummy wrap dinner (see older post), and had it not been a billion degrees and humid (hence the Creek foray) I would have LOVED to have a bread bowl of cheesey crab dip goodness!
Some of the fairies were very refined
Some were not.
I am very proud of myself in that I did NOT buy anything! I got a whole stack of business cards (and even handed out a few at 4Q)- though I kind of wish I had bought one of the back issues of Faerie Magazine. I suppose that's what next year is for! I should like to attend the MD and NY Fairie Festivals- but I think that the timing is all off (Englandworld trip and such). I was also hoping for a new photo that might have measured up to the one of my from last time I was there. No such luck (unless someone out there is hiding an amazing photograph of me that I don't know about. Please step forward!). Again, mayhap next year. After the Festival I followed the Girlies (Thank you for putting up with my terrible following, Amanda!) back to the turnpike, heading home instead of home, where I surprised Dave with a Fairie visit! (And had a most dreadful time not falling asleep at the wheel when I did finally drive back to Scranton) A Lovely time was had. No begins the countdown until next year!

Many of the photos you see above were taken by the lovely and brilliantly artistic Miss Coriander, who can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1395698695